Improvement in railway-car seats and couches



J. L. HAMILTON;

\mprovementlin Railway-Car Seats and Couches.

No.-13(,219. l Wfl Paienze'dAug 6,1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. HAMILTON OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR SEATS ANDv COUCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,219, dated August 6,1872.

Specification `lescribin g a new and Improved Berth and Seat Arrangement for Sleeping Cars, invented by JOHN L. HAMILTON, of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri..

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical tra-nsverse sec tion of one of the seats and berths, the line c c, Fig. 1, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The invention consists in a new mode of combining the seat-back with sliding frames,

and in the use of auxiliary backs, as hereinafter fully described.

A in the drawing represents part of the car-body, within which a suitable number of seats, B B, are set up at proper distances apart. Each seat is, by one leg, a, next to the side of the car, pivoted to the car bottom b, the leg having a pendent pivot-pin, d, which enters a socket in the car bottom, as shown. The seat can on this pivot be turned at anangle of about forty-tive degrees to the side of the car, in which ease, by the interposition of atriangular plate, e, between the end of the seat and the car, an extension is effected iitting it to a berth. This extension-plate e rests on a rib, f, that projects from the side ot' the car, and by projecting dowels g, also, on the end of the seat. By being thus swung into the oblique position, as is shown in the upper Apart of Fig. 1, the seats are brought close together and utilize, consequently, to the fullest extent, the space in the car, the extension c being sufficient to convert each seatinto a comfortable couch. The back h of each seat is pivoted at the ends in the ordinary manner, to be reversible, and can be sustained horizontally above the. seat on frames z' i that slide inthe ends of the seat, as indicated in Fig. 2.' The frames 2'., when elevated to sustain the back, are locked by suitable catches j. The back constitutes in this position another couch l above the seat, and receiving an extension, e,

similar to theother, will be equally long and comfortable. Side guards l Z may be arranged removably on the backs h, to be used only when the same are in position as upper couches. m m are auxiliary backs hinged .to the under side of each seat, to be used when the back proper h, is turned up. These backs m may also serve as guards for the lower couches, as in Fig. 2.

In order to utilize as fully as possible the space within the car, that .upright of the seat-frame n which would be nearest the side of the car when the seat is swung into the oblique position maybe left oft' by giving additional strength to the other upright. Proper head-rests o o may be removably applied to the ends of the upper and lower couches. The outer part ot' the seat may be supported on a circular metallic track, p, sunk into the door ofthe car, and arranged with sockets 0r catches, or both, to lock the seat in its several positions. l

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The back h of a railroad car-seat, when arranged in combination with the slidiu g frames fi, whereby it is held above the seat as an upper couch, as specified.

2. The auxiliary backs m m applied to a carseat, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

JOHN LINTON HAMILTON.

VitneSSeS:

E. C. ZIMMERMAN, T. J. COOPER. 

